[Seele: She actually turned into this appearance... How did she manage it with such a small body!?]

  [Fu Xuan: Clearly, this is not an effect achievable through ordinary disguise. I believe this must be one of the abilities granted by the Elation Path.]

  Sparkle's movements paused slightly, then she spoke with a somewhat regretful tone: "I heard you were cursed by your family? Oh my, how pitiful. They even gave you such an obvious hint - 'go find a mute friend'. Tsk tsk tsk, listen to that, what a simple sentence."

  "And what happened? Not only did you mess it up, but you also got yourself in trouble. They told you to make friends with a mute, not to take the lead and become mute yourself. You really wasted their good intentions."

  "What do you mean?" Aventurine's voice carried a hint of confusion and bewilderment, his eyes revealing perplexity at her words.

  "You know better than me, who was it that watched helplessly as the little bird who couldn't sing died right in front of you? It was you, of course, little peacock~"

  He regained his calm expression and stared intently at Sparkle, saying: "I'm asking you... what do you mean by 'become mute'?"

  Sparkle's lips curled into a mocking smile:

  "Playing dumb, are we? Because you're about to be like her, never able to speak again~"

  Aventurine crossed his arms, lowering his head in thought. After a while, he raised his head again, his eyes gleaming with a strange light.

  Sparkle, with a face full of smiles, began to speak: "But you know, I see this as a good thing, because..." However, before she could finish, Aventurine interrupted her: "Because I'm about to touch upon the truth, right?"

  Hearing this, Sparkle's face showed a hint of feigned surprise.

  "Fool, why do you think I'm carrying around this shabby bag, handing out cheap jewelry all over the street?" Aventurine asked rhetorically, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, his tone somewhat mocking. His eyes revealed a sense of confidence and cunning, as if he had seen through everything.

  He continued:

  "This was all for your benefit. The more pathetic I appear, the more likely I am to lure you out... I've been waiting for you for a long time. Considering how hard I've tried, won't you reward me with an answer?"

  Sparkle stared at Aventurine with wide eyes, as if trying to see through to his true thoughts. However, Aventurine just smiled, seemingly unconcerned by her reaction.

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  "Why should I help you?"

  Aventurine's lips curved into a faint smile, looking at her with a mixture of amusement and seriousness:

  "Don't you want Pinocchoni to fall into chaos? I can make it happen. I just need to verify one thing: Back then, when you told me to find a mute... were you really referring to Robin?"

  Sparkle turned her face away, sighing softly, "What if I say 'no'?"

  "Thank you," Aventurine's tone sounded very sincere: "This word has never felt so kind before."

  "Well, well~" She widened her eyes, a flash of surprise in them, then blinked and said with a smile, "I underestimated you. But... what good does it do you?"

  "Let me tell you - 'mute', there were originally two people who fit this definition. But Robin is already dead, and the other one... she's still in Pinocchoni, but you probably won't be able to find her anymore~"

  After hearing Sparkle's words, Aventurine showed no sign of anxiety, instead smiling confidently: "Fool, now I can be completely sure that I've been on the right path from the very beginning, never deviating."

  "I'm just missing two things: First, the meaning behind the truth; Second, the method to reveal it."

  "Great! It's time for my favorite part - the stubborn denial!" Sparkle chuckled, "You still don't know anything, do you?"

  "No, no," Aventurine shook his head, "I've already proven through various signs that it indeed exists, and that's enough. As for the answers to these two questions, seventeen... no, sixteen system times are enough for me to figure everything out."

  "Sixteen system times, huh~ Is that really enough? Well, let me add fuel to the fire!"

  Smiling, Sparkle pulled out a red button from her hand and handed it to Aventurine:

  "Here, take it. This is my treasured 'Mutual Assured Destruction' button. I have an identical one myself. If either of us presses it, the other person will immediately be blown sky-high along with the entire Pinocchoni."

  [Black Swan: How can you hand these out all over the street?]

  [Stella: Is this for real? Can something so small really blow up all of Pinocchoni?]

  [Sunday: You claim to be a neutral party not involved in the game, yet you keep giving hints. Fool, what's your purpose?]

  [Sparkle: Hehe~ What's the fun in a one-sided game? Only when both sides are evenly matched can the entertainment last, right~]

  "If you really want the company to move into Pinocchoni, if you want it so badly that you can't stand it anymore... blowing up the card table isn't a bad option. Worst case, we start over! That's what the company is good at, right?"

  "When you're at your wit's end, just press it. Of course, you can also contact me, consider it my end-of-life care!"

  "Sounds dangerous..." Aventurine analyzed casually, "I guess the family didn't take your words seriously? Otherwise, how did you smuggle it in?"

  "Hehe~ You just need to know that I have the ability," Sparkle said proudly.

  "I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer. Who knows if your little toy actually works? By the way, I don't plan to go looking for the other mute friend you mentioned, but I'm glad to hear this person is still in Pinocchoni."

  "I'll take care of the rest myself: I'll prepare a grand unveiling performance for the family's downfall. When it reaches its climax, the high walls will crumble, people will awaken, and those who couldn't speak will open their mouths again - when that time comes, please press the button and set off a big firework to cheer me on. See you, Fool."

  Before his words faded, Aventurine strode off towards the distance. His figure gradually disappeared into the remnants of the lamplight, as if merging into that golden glow.

  "You still have the nerve to boast at this point... Well, it's a deal then."

  Watching Aventurine's figure vanish at the horizon, Sparkle murmured thoughtfully, her eyes revealing a hint of lingering interest: "You better not disappoint me."